Into the Dark
by TearsOfAnotherBrokenHeart
Summary: Before his eyes she faded away. As quickly as she stepped into his life, she was gone. Amy/Raphael oneshot.


Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Calibur. Though one day when the flying pigs take over the world I shall! Until then I am just a fan.

Dark storm clouds covered the heavens; threatening the earth below with endless torrents of rain and lighting. Thunder boomed across the distance, shaking the ground like some sort of angry subterranean deity. Despite the approaching storm, two figures stood by the deserted remains of a castle. They stared at each other; stances tense and their blades drawn and ready for the inevitable clash of steel. Red eyes stared intently at the lanky man standing in her way. Her opponent glared at her from behind his odd mask and gripped the large, talon-like daggers threateningly

Various scrapes, cuts and other wounds decorated them and their attire; evidence of a long fight. Slowly they circled each other, looking for an opening to deliver the finishing blow. Lighting flashed across the sky, illuminating the scenery with a haunting silver flash. At that moment both man and girl raced toward each other, their weapons raised for that lethal moment. The last attack was invisible to the naked eye, but its effects were undoubtedly felt by the fighters. For moments after their final bout, they stood facing the opposite direction of each other. Rain fell upon the battlefield, drenching the entire area and the two warriors within seconds.

It seemed to take forever for one of them to fall. But in the end, the young girl was the one left standing. Chilling droplets of rain soaked her dark lollita gown and her crimson curls. Her lips curled into a self satisfied smirk at the sound of her foe's corpse collapsing in the mud. However, her victory was short lived. One of the daggers from her enemy protruded from her side. She reflexively grabbed the hilt, only to wince as white hot pain shot up from the wound. With a readying sigh to steady her nerves, the girl grabbed the blade and quickly removed it. Blood seeped through the fabric of her dress; darkening the already dark attire. She collapsed with a small whimper to the muddy ground. Currents of pain shot up from her wound to the rest of her body. Her vision swam and her stomach heaved; threatening to spill its contents. Through sheer force of will, the young maiden refrained from throwing up. Carefully, she laid her body on the soaking grass; not caring for a moment that her dress was now stained beyond repair. She looked up into the crying heavens; the rain mixing with her own tears of pain.

"Raphael…" She whispered, imagining her dark guardian. Like many times before he left her; to look for ways to give her the world. And just like those many times before, she went after him; fighting her way through hordes of opponents just to find him. Just to be with him. However, this time it seemed that instead of finding him, she found one of the servants of the evil sword. "Where are you….?" She whispered to herself. Memories of the blonde swordsman helped distract her from her wounds. Though at first she saved him in order to spite the guards, Raphael soon became an irreplaceable part in her world. He was like her moon; dark, mysterious and yet so beautiful. He had cared for her; over time, respect and gratitude for his selflessness had blossomed into an ardent love. Of course, he had no idea of her affections. 'I suppose it does not matter anyways. He is never around….' She thought to herself, as even more tears trailed down her rain soaked face. Time blurred until seconds felt like years. Her body felt heavy, and the only thing she wanted to do was close her eyes and forget all the pain. Realization dawned on her as she watched the fury of the storm continue. 'I am dying….'

***

Raphael strode briskly up the dusty trail, ignoring the harsh, cold wind that stung his cheeks. In the distance, thunder roared and shook the cloaked landscape. The ruins of an old castle stood out amongst the rolling hills and skeletal trees. Stones that were once part of the design littered the field like the corpses of dead guards. Some statues were intact; however, the majority were victims of time. The trees bore no leaves; even the grass seemed gray and lifeless.

Without warning, rain poured from the skies. The wind blew; every drop of frigid rain felt like a dagger piercing his skin. In seconds his pale blonde hair was plastered to his even paler skin, and his black attire was drenched. However, the vampire lord seemed impervious to such discomforts. Determination was evident in his very stance, like nothing could sway him from his mission. In the last village he had the displeasure of residing at, he heard rumors of the evil sword's servant. Of course where there is one cockroach there is bound to be more. So without a moment's waste, Raphael took off to find the servant and hopefully the Sword as well.

Over the sound of rain pelting the earth, came a feeble whimper. Like some sort of dying animal. If not for his improved senses, the dark swordsman would have missed it altogether. Raphael rolled his eyes. 'The weak deserve to die.' He continued down the path ignoring the dying beast. The source of the noise grew louder as he got closer to the remains of the castle. Annoyed by the continued moans of pain, he glanced over the scattered stones. Two bodies lay not to far away from where he stood. The ground around them was void of any grass and rubble from the castle made a type of ring around them. Raphael stood, frozen in the mud. He could easily recognize both the combatants. One was undoubtedly the servant of the evil sword. The other was the one whom he would offer the world to. The one, the only, Amy.

Raphael collapsed to his knees, not caring about the mud that now stained his expensive attire. Amy clutched at her side; her pale face was even paler due to her injuries. Even her crimson hair seemed to lack the luster it normally had. Blood stained her lollita gown and her lips; its metallic scent filling the damp air. Breathing became difficult as he watched his beloved ward struggle to remain in the world of the living. Sluggishly, as if this were all a nightmare, Raphael crouched near the young girl. The chilling rain and bouts of thunder seemed to fade away completely. All that mattered was his wounded companion before him. "Amy!" He called out brokenly, tears cascading unnoticed down his wan cheeks. Slowly she opened her eyes. For a moment they were unseeing, but than they focused entirely on her benefactor. She smiled a heartbreaking smile that made Raphael's insides melt. Gently, as if he were crafted from glass, she caressed his cheek. Blood smeared on his pale skin, but Raphael did not even notice.

"Raph….ael, ….I….-" Raphael silenced her with a finger to her blood-stained lips. Gently, so not to cause her any more pain, he moved her so that her head was resting in his lap. "Shhhhh, hold on my sweet. You are going to be just fine." The vampire swordsman whispered back. Though he tried to keep his composure, his voice was strained. He ripped part of his coat and tried to stop the bleeding in her side. It was useless; he knew. But accepting defeat was not something he was willing to do. Especially not with _her_ life in the balance.

Amy winced slightly as he tried to bandage her wounds, but otherwise remained silent. She watched Raphael with eyes that were wise beyond her years. With a great amount of effort, Amy removed his hand from his work and rubbed it against her frozen cheek. She closed her eyes, as if savoring his touch. "Amy…." Raphael began brokenly, but was silenced when she beckon him closer. Obediently he did so and was surprised when he felt her lips on his. Her blood filled his mouth. It was a pleasant taste, sweet as nectar. As quickly as the kiss began it was over. Amy was panting heavily from the physical exertion, but she seemed happier than when Raphael first found her.

"I ….I…love…you….." She whispered softly. Even with the closeness between them, he had trouble hearing her; though that could also have to do with the fact that his senses were still spinning from her kiss. Even with the physical display of affection the actual words left him speechless. The very air seemed to have abandoned his lungs. All he could do was stare at her in complete surprise. Joy mingled in with grief, creating a sickening feeling in his heart; as if it was being torn apart. With a defeated sigh he turned his gaze back to the dying girl in his lap. The sparkle of life in her eyes was dwindling much to his horror.

"Amy wait!" He called out, his voice breaking slightly. She turned towards him, her gaze once more unseeing. "I…I love you too." A ghost of a smile decorated her pale features. Then, before his eyes she faded away. As quickly as she stepped into his life, she was gone. It was like she was just holding on until she could see Raphael once more. His tears blended in perfectly with the chilling rain drops. Behind him, a deep malicious laughter filled the air. He knew who it was even before he turned to face him. Nightmare stood, in his complete evil glory; Soul Edge gripped, menacingly in his azure hands. His glowing red eyes glared condescendingly at the two vampires. Silently Raphael removed his ruined coat and placed it as a makeshift pillow for Amy. Then, just as quietly he got up and went towards Nightmare; his trusted blade already drawn. The rain continued to pound on the earth relentlessly. Lighting streaked across the skies and thunder shook the entire area. Vampire and the Azure Knight stood in the center of the makeshift battlefield. 'Soon, my dear we will be reunited…'

Authors note: A special thanks to my best friend, Krie for putting up with my horrible work and proof reading this. (Krie you are the BEST!!!) Anyways, there is still a sad lack of Amy/Raphael pairings; but such is life. I do plan on writing another Soul Calibur fic with another pairing- one that does not seem very popular either- but it is still going through the creative cycle so it should take a while until I post. (and I mean a LONG while) Anyways, enough rambling, I hoped you enjoyed the story despite the fact that Amy (and maybe Raphael) die/s. (I left his fate up to the reader)


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